Street-car motor



(No Model.)

J. P. SPARKS.

STREET GAR MOTOR.

N0. 362 795. Patented May 10, 1887.

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tries.

STREET-CAR MOTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 362,795, dated May 10, 1887.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN PARKS SPARKS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Austin, in the county of Travis, State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Street-Oar Motor, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to an improvement in street-ear motors; and it consists in the pecnliar construction and combination of devices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a top plan view of the platform of a streetcar provided with my in'iprovements. Fig. 2 is a vertical perspective view of the same. Fig. 3 is a detail view.

A represents the plat-form of the car.

B represents one of the axles, and C repre sents the wheels secured to the axle. To one end of the car-platform is attached a projecting platform, E, comprising the beams F and the flooring G, and forms the supporting-frame for the motor.

H represents a transverse shaft, which is arranged parallel with the axle B and is journaled in bearing-blocks which are secured to the beams F. Rigidly secured near one end of the said shaft H is a sprocketpinion, I, which is connected to a sprocket-wheel, K, that is rigid on the axle, by an endless sprocketchain, L.

M represents a friction-wheel, which is secured to the shaft H, and is free to slide back and forth thereon, and the said friction-wheel has 011 one side an annular collar, N, in which is made an annular groove, 0.

P represents a friction-wheel, which is arranged also on the shaft H, and is adapted to rotate independently of the said shaft, and also to slide back and forth thereon. This wheel P has a sheave, R, rigid therewith, and be tween the said sheave and friction-wheel. is a collar or annular groove, S. An endless wire belt, T, connects the sheave with a grooved pulley, U, that is attached to the axle, the said belt being crossed, as shown in Fig. 2.

V represents the engine, which is secured to the platform in front of the ear, and has a rotating shaft, V, which is arranged at right angles to the shaft H, and is journaled in suitable bearing-blocks, X, the said shaft W pass ing between the opposing faces of the frictioir wheels M and P.

Y represents a friction-pinion, which is secured on the shaft V and rotates therewith, but is free to slide back and forth thereon. The said frictionpinion has on one side an annular collar, Y, in which is made an annular groove, whereby the power end of a suitable lever (which is not here shown) may be at taehed to the pinion to slideit on the shaft XV either toward the center of the frictiouwheels or toward the outer edges thereof.

Z represents a bar which has its rear end pivoted to the front of the platform A and bears in the annular groove of the frictionwheel M. Z represents a similar bar, which has its rear end pivoted to the front of the platform A and bears in the annular groove of the friction-wheel P. The front ends of the said rods Z and Z are connected to a lever, A, on opposite sides of the fulcrum thereof.

. From the foregoing it will be observed that when the lever A is turned in one direction the friction-wheels will be moved toward each other and caused to bear against opposite sides of the friction-pinion, and when the saidlever is turned in the opposite direction the frictionwheels will be moved from each other, so as to release the friction-pinion, and thus disconnect the motor from the axle of the car, so as to bring the latter toa standstill.

The shaft \V rotates at a uniform rate of speed. WV hen it is desired to increase the speed of the ear, the friction-pinion is moved rearwardly toward the center of the frictionwheels, and when in ascending grades and rounding curves it is necessary to decrease the speed of the ear in order to increase the power of the engine, the pinion is moved forwardly toward the outer edges of the friction-wheels.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. The combination, in a car-motor, of the axle having the wheels K and U, the shaft H, having the wheel I, the endless chain or belt connecting the wheels I and K, the friction wheels M and P, and the sheave It on the shaft H, the crossed belt connecting the sheave R and the wheel U, the rotating shaft W, at right angles to shaft H, and arranged between the friction-wheels and the sliding friction-pinion on the said shaft W, to bear against the opposing sides of the friction-wheels, for the purpose set forth, substantially asdescribed.

2. The combination, in a car-motor, of the shaft H, geared to an axle of the car, the friction-wheels on the said shaft, and free to slide thereon, the lever to move the said wheels toward or from each other, and the rotating engine-shaft W, having the friction-pinion to bear against the opposing sides of the frictionwheels, substantially as described.

connected to the said annular collars, and the go lever A, connected to the said rods to movethe friction-wheels toward or from each other, for

the purpose set forth, substantially as described.

JOHN PARKS SPARKS.

Witnesses:

J. W. HOWARD, JOE B. WINN. 

